ANN DEMATTEO: Side effects of treatments include rooting for the Red Sox

Something strange happened to me upon my settling down at home. Those of you who really know me will gasp upon this pronouncement: I think I am becoming a sports fan.

Hold the applause. And don't get too excited. This could just be a temporary state of mind while resting between visiting nurse and physical therapy visits.

I admit that my interest may drop off eventually. I was born and bred in the Red Sox Nation (apologies to Jane Glynn and the rest of you Yankees fans). It's not pleasant listening to my mother, Ann S. DeMatteo, grumble about each and every run scored against the Sox. They were losing so bad in the rain the other night they should have just packed it in hours before the game ended.

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It was great getting welcome home shouts from niece and nephew, Rebecca and John. They were so thrilled that I was finally home following lengthy stays in the St. Raphael's campus of Yale-New Haven Hospital and Gaylord Specialty Healthcare.

Another bonus about being home was being reconnected to my "visiting angel." Nurse Marla McGrath from Welcome Home Care of North Haven is once again assigned to my case. Marla comes a few mornings a week with a wide smile and a giving heart.

I feel really cared for in her company, and the fact that she is a liaison between me and my oncologist's office is really comforting. Her service was crucial when we had questions over which pills were possibly making me nauseated and dizzy. Her communication with the doctor allowed for a reduction in the amount of Lasix I was taking, thus cutting back on those issues.

Included in this adjustment phase of life is getting used to a 50-foot oxygen tube that follows me from a tank in my bedroom, through the rest of the house. I had visions of Mom and I getting tangled in the cord and falling on our butts, then breaking out in hysterical laughter, but we've been careful and haven't tripped -- yet.

However, the tube has provided a new fascination for Patches Marie, the cat who runs the house. She insists on sitting on top of it while I'm sitting in my wheelchair in the living room. Other times, she jumps onto the armrest, paws at me and then attempts to bite me. She actually broke my skin the other day. What a nice welcome home gift. This behavior is overlooked by our other cat, Smoky Ann, who only sniffed at the wheelchair a few times. She spends the rest of her time sleeping on the couch.

I've also been reconnected with Welcome Home Care physical therapist Chris Albert. His arrival couldn't have come any sooner, as I severely missed the rigors of daily physical therapy provided by Gaylord.

The body and the soul appreciate the ankle pumps, knee extensions, sidekicks, marching and other exercises that put a burn in my upper thighs and hips.

I'm still getting get well and Mass cards from a lot of you, and for that I am grateful. Best friend Thea Moritz has counted 300 so far. I thank all of you for your continued support and prayers. I am so blessed to be home, under Mom's care.